Executive Assistant salary in Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI
Budget above the national rate here. The median executive assistant in Minneapolis-St. Paul earned $80,030 a year in May 20251, 2.0% above the Minnesota statewide median of $78,470 and 4.5% above the US median of $76,590. Only 29 of 509 US areas pay more for this job. With about 6,150 executive assistants, no area in Minnesota employs more.
BLS occupation 43-6011, area Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI. Data from the May 2025 release, checked 2026-10-15.
Pay in Minneapolis-St. Paul against Minnesota and the US
| Range | 10th | Median | 90th | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI | $61,090 | $80,030 | $103,520 | |
| Minnesota | $58,870 | $78,470 | $101,760 | |
| United States | $50,560 | $76,590 | $109,850 |
The middle half of executive assistants in Minneapolis-St. Paul earns $65,170–$94,270. Pay is tightly grouped: the top tenth starts at $103,520, only 1.7 times the bottom tenth, against 2.2 times across the US, so the going rate is easier to read. From the 25th to the 75th percentile, the local range is $29,100 wide, between the figure for Minnesota ($26,730) and the US figure ($33,000).
What to budget for an executive assistant here
| Point in the local range | Per year | Per month | Per hour | Employer cost per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $61,090 | $5,091 | $29.37 | $78,826 |
| 25th percentile | $65,170 | $5,431 | $31.33 | $84,090 |
| Median | $80,030 | $6,669 | $38.48 | $103,265 |
| 75th percentile | $94,270 | $7,856 | $45.32 | $121,639 |
| 90th percentile | $103,520 | $8,627 | $49.77 | $133,574 |
An offer at the 75th percentile instead of the median adds $14,240 a year in pay and about $18,374 in employer cost. Going down to the 25th percentile saves $14,860 in pay. These percentiles describe what people in the job earn locally, not experience levels, so place your offer by the tasks and seniority you need.
For scale, the US median of $76,590 falls between the 25th percentile and the median in Minneapolis-St. Paul, and the Minnesota statewide median of $78,470 falls there too.
What a hire really costs in Minneapolis-St. Paul
Pay is only part of it. Benefits and payroll taxes other than paid leave are 22.5% of total compensation in US private industry2, which adds about $23,235 to the $80,030 median and brings it to $103,265 a year. Recruiting, equipment and office space come on top. Benefit levels vary by employer, so treat this as an estimate.
Our open executive assistant roles pay $800–$1,100 a month under a direct contract. The one-time fee is $2,5003 with a 180-day replacement; paying through Deel adds $49 a month4. Change any number below to match your plan.
For the $103,265 a local hire costs here, you could cover about 7.1 remote hires in year one at the midpoint of our range. From year two the fee drops out and the remote figure is $11,988. About the candidates: most apply through our assessment platform with a written and a spoken English task; each profile shows the English level (B1–C2); Silkstaff interviews every shortlisted candidate live, in English, before you meet them.
Other roles in Minneapolis-St. Paul
Of the 17 roles we track in Minneapolis-St. Paul, this one ranks #5 by median pay, between recruiters ($80,330) and office managers ($78,410). Marketing Specialist is the highest at $97,910.
| Role | Median | vs executive assistant | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accountant | +8.1% | 21,820 | |
| Recruiter | +0.4% | 12,660 | |
| Executive Assistant | this role | 6,150 | |
| Office Manager | -2.0% | 14,480 | |
| Sales Development Representative | -3.6% | 14,070 |
Measured against the US median, executive assistants rank #14 of the 17 roles we track in Minneapolis-St. Paul (+4.5%), between recruiters (+5.8%) and accountants (+3.4%). The typical role here is at +10.5%, so, measured against the US, executive assistants cost less in Minneapolis-St. Paul than the area's general pay level would suggest. Executive assistants hold 3.0% of the jobs in these 17 roles in Minneapolis-St. Paul, 2.7% across Minnesota and 2.9% nationally. That is close to the national mix.
Other areas in Minnesota
Across the 9 areas of Minnesota with data for this job, the median runs from $70,120 in the Southeast Minnesota nonmetro area to $82,230 in Rochester, a gap of $12,110 a year. No other area in Minnesota has as many executive assistants, and 7 of the other 8 pay less.
| Area | Median | vs Minneapolis-St. Paul | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rochester, MN | +2.7% | 150 | |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI | this area | 6,150 | |
| Mankato, MN | -6.4% | 80 | |
| Northwest Minnesota (Nonmetro) | -8.0% | 280 | |
| Duluth, MN-WI | -8.5% | 200 | |
| Northeast Minnesota (Nonmetro) | -10.1% | 60 | |
| Southwest Minnesota (Nonmetro) | -10.9% | 130 |
Minneapolis-St. Paul against other US metro areas
By number of jobs, Minneapolis-St. Paul is #14 of 506 US areas for this job. It is one of the larger markets for this job and one of the better-paying ones. Outside Minnesota, Kennewick-Richland and Dallas-Fort Worth pay just above Minneapolis-St. Paul and Charlotte-Concord and Barnstable Town just below. All four are within $220 a year of the median in Minneapolis-St. Paul. Of the three markets with about as many executive assistants, one pays more.
| Metro area | Median | vs Minneapolis-St. Paul | Jobs | Close in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale, CA | +32.7% | 5,300 | jobs | |
| Dallas-Fort Worth, TX | +0.2% | 8,290 | pay | |
| Kennewick-Richland, WA | +0.1% | 340 | pay | |
| Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI | this area | 6,150 | ||
| Charlotte-Concord, NC-SC | -0.2% | 2,620 | pay | |
| Barnstable Town, MA | -0.3% | 310 | pay | |
| Philadelphia-Camden, PA-NJ | -0.7% | 7,150 | jobs | |
| Denver-Aurora, CO | -15.0% | 5,930 | jobs |
Questions
How much does it cost to hire an executive assistant in Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI?
About $103,265 a year at the median, or $8,605 a month: $80,030 in pay plus about $23,235 in benefits and payroll taxes. Recruiting, equipment and office space are extra.
What do executive assistants earn in Minneapolis-St. Paul?
Pay here is higher than in three quarters of US areas. The median was $80,030 a year in the May 2025 BLS survey. The 10th percentile was $61,090, the 90th $103,520, and the middle half earned $65,170 to $94,270.
Is Minneapolis-St. Paul cheaper than the rest of Minnesota for executive assistants?
No, it costs more: a median of $80,030 against $78,470 statewide. The next area up in Minnesota is Rochester at $82,230, the next down Mankato at $74,880.
How many executive assistants work in Minneapolis-St. Paul?
BLS counts about 6,150 in the May 2025 survey. No other area in Minnesota has as many.
Does an executive assistant cost more than an office manager in Minneapolis-St. Paul?
Yes: $1,620 a year more at the median. The medians are $80,030 and $78,410.
What does a remote executive assistant cost compared with Minneapolis-St. Paul?
Our open roles pay $800–$1,100 a month. At the midpoint, with the one-time fee and Deel, year one comes to $14,488, against about $103,265 for a local hire at the median.
Sources
4 sources, with links
- BLS OEWS May 2025, 43-6011: bls.gov
- BLS Employer Costs for Employee Compensation, private industry, June 2026: bls.gov
- Stafka pricing: stafka.com
- Deel pricing, contractor management: deel.com
How these pages are built: methodology and data sources. Last updated 2026-11-12.